Let’s rip the band-aid off.

The last time the Houston Rockets went into Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz, they gave up 30 points to Keyonte George off the bench. The Jazz scored 124 points, including 37 in the fourth quarter. In fact, their lowest-scoring quarter was 27 points. All five Jazz starters scored in double figures. Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler combined for 22 dunks.

Okay, that last one isn’t true but it sure felt like it.

The only Rockets that showed up that night on offense were Amen Thompson, Jeff Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jalen Green. Those four combined to shoot 51% from the field. The rest of the Rockets shot 28%.

But again, the real issue for Houston that night was defense. We’ve talked over and over again that when Houston is shooting well, they’re much more aesthetically pleasing to watch. However, when they play defense at a high level, they win more games. It’s a frustrating aspect of the team that will have to be addressed through trades, free agency, or a new shooting coach (or three). For now, this is the team.

Houston’s schedule down the stretch is brutal. Most of the games will be on the road against desperate Western Conference squads. It’s entirely possible that Houston is only favored in two of their remaining nine games. Tonight is the first. That makes it a must-win.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off

8pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and Playback

Injury Report

Rockets

Amen Thompson: GTD

Reed Sheppard: OUT

Jazz

John Collins: OUT

Jordan Clarkson.: GTD

Lauri Markkanen: GTD

Elijah Harkless: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Sunday night in Arizona against the Phoenix Suns